By The Numbers: Glock 26 vs Glock 43

We are coming up on the two-year anniversary of the Glock 43 debut and I have yet to buy one. Why? Because I may be the only Glock fan that just doesn’t see the point – I’ll stick with my G26/G17 #thankyouverymuch. Unless I’m missing some intangible characteristic, the numbers just aren’t adding up.

Let’s take a look at the specifications for the G43:

And the specifications for the G26:

And a side-to-side comparison of the toddler G43 versus the high school aged G26:

The biggest difference I can see is the weight savings: the G43 sheds about 17% of the unloaded weight compared to its older sibling. Otherwise, the differences in height, length, width and sight radius are in the low single-digit percentages.

And even if the weight savings is big enough to make difference in a shooter’s every day carry gun, are the sacrifices in perceived muzzle flip, lower magazine capacity and magazine interchangeability worth the switch?

As a backup gun, the G43 doesn’t seem to fit the mold – it’s too big for deep concealment and the lack of shared magazines with larger 9mm models will likely mean that the carrier will be left with only 6+1 should the need arise. Let’s be honest, who carries spare mags for their spare gun?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Glock fan and a proponent of shooters picking the guns and equipment that is right for them. But for the life of me I can’t see where a G43 fits into my routine.

Am I off base here? If I’m missing something about the 43, I’m sure you will all remind me in the comments section below.

LE – Science – OSINT.
On a mission to make all of my guns as quiet as possible.
Pete.M@staff.thefirearmblog.com

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Lew Siffer

(1) Everyone’s hand size is different. Some cannot get a proper grip on a G26. (2) Everyone’s concealment space is different. A G43 fits perfectly in my automobile console where a G26 is too large.

Pete – TFB Writer

Thanks Lew. It just doesn’t seem like the 43 has measurable difference.

anon

Looking at the numbers, I’d agree. Owning both they feel quite a bit different from each other in hand. 26 is my daily, but a 43 conceals easier for me under a t shirt.

Harry’s Holsters

I have a friend who is 5 feet tall with really small hands. She has trouble reaching the trigger on glock 19s, Walther PPQ and the Walther PPS. The Glock 43 fits here perfectly. I’ve seen small people have trouble shooting the bigger gun and then nail it with the 43.

BearSlayer338

I have small hands for a guy but I have had no problem getting a good grip on anything smaller than a Desert Eagle.

Collimatrix

“Otherwise, the differences in height, length, width and sight radius are in the low single-digit percentages.”

26mm/30mm width = .866, or a 14% difference in width.

The number 14 has a one in the tens place, and a four in the ones place, so it is what we call a “double digit number.”

Pete – TFB Writer

Touché. You got me.

To the point, is a 14% savings worth the other sacrifices?

BearSlayer338

Not if you ask me,especially with the all the attacks lately I’d rather have the extra 4-5 shots. Glock 26 also works just as well as a summer EDC because the dimensions are very small the extra tiny bit of thickness that the 26 has over the the Glock 43 are barely noticeable to me. IMO even if the difference was more like 20-25% I’d still pick the 26 for the extra capacity over the 43 which is just slightly slimmer and barely lighter.

Collimatrix

It would depend heavily on how you carry and what you wear. There seems to be a “critical thickness” beyond which an object under clothing will obviously print, and under which it’s hard to make out. Basically right when the clothing ceases to sit slack around the object under it, and is pulled taught around the contours. There is going to be some combination of body type and clothing that’s right on the threshold, where a G26 cannot be hidden but a G43 can. Not sure how many people are normally at that threshold, although Glock apparently thought it was worth making a pistol for that market.

Drunk Possum

I wanna start off by saying I’m not on the Glock bandwagon. Not a fan, but I recognize their merits and they have a place. That said, I had an opportunity to shoot a G43 not long ago, and I wasn’t impressed. I shot a mag off and had to ask the owner if he was shooting hotter handloads. There was so much muzzle flip! Needless to say, I didn’t care for it, and won’t be purchasing one myself. I’d like to give the G42 a try tho, the 380 has made some advances in the last few years and may actually make a viable BUG.

Harry’s Holsters

Add a Streamlight TLR6 and it really dampens the recoil. It is much less than the shield or PPS in that configuration.

Nicholas Dunham

Are you saying that perceive recoil of the G43 with TLR6 is less than that of the Shield 9mm with TLR6, or without?
If with, do you have any speculation why?

Harry’s Holsters

Without. I haven’t had the opportunity to fire a shield with one. I’m sure the result would be the same. It’s amazing what an once added on the front of the gun does to lower the recoil.

T Rex

Pete you’re not the only Glock fan scratching their head and asking “what’s the point?” on the G43. My first Glock was a G17 I purchased in 1987 and I’ve bought half a dozen new models over the years since. The only time disappointment was my initial reaction was when I went to pick up the G43 I ordered from GT Distributors only to realize that the much hyped pistol was for all practical purposes a low capacity single stack G26. After holding the G43 alongside a Kahr CM9 and seeing how much larger the G43 actually was, I politely declined the purchase. I believe it was a missed opportunity when Glock chose not to design the G43 to G42 or CM9 dimensions.

Pete – TFB Writer

Glad it’s not just me. Thanks.

BearSlayer338

I agree the Glock 43 is large for its capacity compared to its competitors,If a deep concealment 9mm is need there are smaller, lighter,and thinner options.

Wanderlust

I agree with you but these will continue to be popular among new shooters until clothing fashion trends change (it takes 10 years on average for a major shift). Skinny jeans anyone?

Gregory

I carry a Glock 43 as a backup gun on my ankle, 5 days a week and as an off duty weapon, 7 days a week. The pistol is deeply concealed without any issues. The weight savings is a great benefit along with the thinness. As for less capacity than the model 26 or 27 (prior off duty/backup gun), that is what extra magazines are for. I feel just as well armed with the model 43 and it is easier to carry.

Everyone acts as if they are going to war every minute of the day against an army and will be the hero of the day, standing in their own ocean of testosterone as the victor. Give me a break and get over yourselves. If, and I say if something is going to occur where you are engaged by someone armed, the encounter is going to be short, stressful and fast. Train for it and use superior tactics and you will prevail. Stop looking for and fantasizing about gun battles, that will get you killed, weekend wannabe warriors.

Pete – TFB Writer

Great first paragraph. That’s what I’m looking for. Do you carry spare mags for your 43 when its a backup gun?

The second paragraph? I’m not tracking. I didn’t make any weekend-warrior claims.

T Rex

Pete I suspect that rant from Gregory in the 2nd paragraph might be involuntary millennial arrogance.

Pete – TFB Writer

Turrets? 😉

T Rex

“that is what extra magazines are for”. Yes Gregory, and by opting for the G43 over the G26, you forgo the flexibility and practicality of using a G19 or G17 mag as a spare.

Harry’s Holsters

If he’s ankle carrying it’s probably faster to go for a spare mag then a backup gun. So unless he loses his primary the Glock 43 might be used after his primary ammo supply is gone or the finish a fight on the ground where more than 7 rounds may not be of any help.

T Rex

Thousands of LEO’s carry a G17/G26, G22/G27, G31/G33 combo because it’s both efficient and smart to be able to use your primary duty weapon mags in your backup gun in a tight.

Harry’s Holsters

Agreed but for some guys/girls they are just to big to fit on their body and not print.

T Rex

Harry, arguing that the one sixth of an inch difference in width between a G43 & G26 makes a noticeable difference in printing is ridiculously lame, but if it helps you sell two Glocks instead of just one, go for it.

Harry’s Holsters

It all depends on your build and the cloths you wear. For some it may not make a difference but for me it does. I’m also a thinner guy. Also I’ll carry it in my cowboy boots sometimes and every bit of width does matter there. If you can conceal it great but not everyone has that luxury.

With certain clothing the Walther PPQ conceals better than my Glock 19 and the opposite also holds true. In this case it’s due to the sharp of the grip.

T Rex

Harry all the reasons you want to use to rationalize why to carry a G43 pretty much summarize my disappointment when I arrived at GT Distributors to pick up the G43 I’d ordered last year only to see first hand that Glock had not produced a CM9 sized pocket 9, just a single stack variant of the G26, which is when I was confronted with the realization, “this pistol is a lot larger than my CM9 and just as large as my G26, what’s the point and why would anyone want a single stack G26 with a mag capacity of only 6”?

Harry’s Holsters

It is quite a bit thinner than a Glock 26. 14% width wise. So it’s not just as large as a Glock 26. If one gun worked for everyone the world wouldn’t be interesting.

Harry’s Holsters

Width by frame on the 26 is actually closer to 1.3 inches. It’s the widest of all the 9mm/40 glocks. I increase the dimensions of the molds for my holsters so all glocks 17/19 holsters are compatible with the Glock 26. Most holsters you see will work but aren’t truly compatible with the Glock 26. I learned this from phlster.

Kelly Jackson

Switching to your pistol is faster than reloading.

john huscio

Wake me when your done fudding down your nose at the rest of us….

Harry’s Holsters

i bought a Glock 43 right when they came out. I couldn’t shoot the gun well at all. It’s just to small for me. It sat in the safe till I started to need a summer carry because my glock 19 is just to big sometimes. I spent a lot of time dry firing it and now I shoot it very well. I used it for a while in a class and the instructors were impressed as hell by how well I shot such a small gun. By the numbers they may not be that different but in person they show the difference. I can conceal a Glock 19 as well as a 26 with my body type and style of dress. The glock 43 conceals way better though for me.

Pete – TFB Writer

Great info. Thanks. Ever carried a 26?

Harry’s Holsters

Just put one in my Glock 19 holster in the gun store. I carry AIWB with a claw on the holster and my body is wide enough there to hide the glock 19 gripe with tighter shirts. If I was willing to print a little I could carry a glock 17 fine. The issue I have with the 26/19/17 in the summer is the width of the gun and holster. It’s often the clip of the holster printing not the gun itself. If I carried behind the hip I can see how a 26 might be beneficial. I can barely carry a 42 back there without printing though.

Rick O’Shay

You could swap G43 for Shield and G26 for 9c, and you’d be making my exact argument over on the M&P line. I don’t get the appeal, when there’s marginal difference and almost no real advantage on the Shield.

Bob

I carry my G43 as an ankle piece on duty. I use a Pierce extender on it so I have 7+1 and keep an extra magazine in my back pocket for it. My duty gun is a Glock 17.

Off Duty I carry my Glock 26 with a spare G17 mag in a pocket. Sometimes when concealment really matters, I carry the G43 instead of the G26.

Both are fantastic and out of all the Glock pistols. the G19 in my humble opinion is the worst model made. Grip is just small enough to make it uncomfortable, still large enough to be a duty gun, so why not instead just carry the G17.

John Yossarian

Agreed – And S&W seems to have learned from Glock’s mistake by not making a 19/23-sized M&P.

Bob

Another Bob here, and I agree. My father got a Glock 19 and I shot it fine, but when I went to buy my own Glock I realized there wasn’t much of a size difference between the 19 and the 17, so I bought the 17.

Paul O.

My wife came across the same kind of issue when choosing between a Shield and an M&P9c. The 9c has interchangeable grips so it fit her hand. She really wanted the extra capacity so she puts up with the weight increase.

Dr. Longfellow Buchenrad

I’m not a glock owner, but if I was to carry a Glock it would be a 26. You get 4 more rounds with a 15 or 17 round reload and a better purchase on the grip (for most shooters) for just an extra .16″ I don’t see the point of the 43 when the double stacks are already so thin. If the glock double stacks were 1.4″ or 1.5″ wide like most double stack pistols then there would be an advantage.

Ken

It give me one more classification in can shoot in (Pocket Glock) at GSSF matches without having to add another caliber (.380/G42) to my inventory.

Bub

Ken, I bought a 43 with GSSF Matches in mind. I picked the 43 over the 42 for size and thought it would work better on plate racks. The 43 will take the plates down, but from watching other guys it takes a good hit while the 43 seems a little more forgiving. Plus I didn’t want to add another caliber. BTW I do carry the 43 on occasions and the thinner design is a slight benefit, but I still shot the 26s better.

Ken

Yeah, I thought the 43 might replace my Kahr PK9 for my pocket carry but the Kahr’s still there.

PeterK

I’m not a huge Glock fan, but I’d probably pick up a 26 before a 43, so I’d say you’re not the only one.

James R.

ARE YOU TROLLING ME PETE

Pete – TFB Writer

Hahaha. Awesome.

john huscio

I carry a 19 and it disappears under a button down dickies or Hawaiian shirt. Maybe I should invest in a 17…..

Jolly

19L

David Ruff

My 43 is 7 plus one. I also own a 26, 19 and 30. I always carry the 43 iwb. If i feel like i need more capacity, i will take the 19 in my fanny pack.
I am considering an AR pistol with the brace for special ccw.

Kevin Riley

I had debated for a while regarding the G43 or G26 and ended up going with the G43. I have a G19 and G17 already and decided to go with a single stack.

Even after picking up a couple of +2 extenders for the G43 I was having a little buyer remorse (especially now that Magpul is coming out with the 12 round magazines). I think that’s due to not putting it into some type of EDC carry schedule. I’m now planning on utilizing the G43 during my exercise routine and see if that removes the buyer remorse.

I’ll probably still get a G26 at some point because I am a Glockaholic.

Jeff Allen50

12 round magazines?

T Rex

Magpul just came out with their new PMAG12 GL 9 which is a 12-round magazine for the Glock 26.

Jeff Allen50

Darn, was hoping it was for the 43….

ScoobyDoo

Oops, looks like the Glock comparison chart is off a little. The weight difference is 106g unloaded and it is still 106g loaded even though the G26 has 4 more rounds…..

rs

Both of us have G43s for several reasons (and I’ve owned a 26 since the late ’90s).

I pocket carry (I use a custom kydex front pocket holster with a hook that snags the pocket when I draw) … and the G43’s smaller grip makes it possible. The G26 sticks out too much.

For K, who’s doing reliability trials with her new 43, it was the smaller size, smaller grip, and lighter weight that attracted her.

She’s been carrying a Sig 250, and really wanted something lighter. Unfortunately, due to her MS, she’s not got strong wrists, and pretty much all the smaller pistols she’s tried except for Glocks have jammed on her. She’s not a fan of the Glock trigger, but I’ve got a Ghost Edge connector coming in the mail, that should improve things for her.

Ben Downs

This just shows that it is hard to define the “feel’ of a gun relative to a specific individual. Having experience with both, to me the 43 is an acceptable pocket pistol, the 26 is a holster only gun.

dunhillmc

Have you held a G43 yet? The reduction in bulk is HUGE compared to the double stack models. Just looking at numbers on a screen doesn’t do it justice…

Pete – TFB Writer

I have. Tried it in my pocket, etc. Didn’t seem small enough.

dunhillmc

I don’t think Glock ever said it would be a pocket gun. It’s a PPK sized 9mm.

No-one criticizes the Shield for being too big even though it’s 0.25″ taller than the g43

T Rex

dun your obviously imagined perception of a “Huge” difference in size between the G43 and G26 is purely psychological, in reality the G43 is eight one hundredths of an inch taller and only sixteen one hundredths of an inch narrower than the G26.

The width that Glock gives for the G43 is at the ‘chipmunk cheeks’ around the slide stop that doesn’t add to the overall bulk of the gun.

Just look at this pic and see what difference that 1/4″ less width makes

Joe Gibney

I thought the 43 would become my daily carry. But because of its size it has become a safe queen. Kahr p380 with buffalo bore in the summer, and g26 for winter.

David Harmon

I don’t like Glock myself, but the 43 is pretty nice. I would buy the XDs before any Glock though.

DIR911911 .

I call bullshit on glock’s part. check the chart , the weight between loaded and unloaded is the same amount of difference for both guns(634-509=125/740-615=125). yet one has an increase of 4 more bullets than the other. are these special weightless bullets?

ARCNA442

You’ll find that a lot of manufacturers’ published numbers are surprisingly far off from their products real specifications. Even more surprising is that in many cases the official numbers are worse than the real ones.

retfed

The only real advantage I can see for the 43 is the thinner grip, not for concealment purposes, but for people whose hands won’t comfortably fit around the double-stack grip.
With the current surge in female shooters, I can see a big market for both the 43 and the Shield. And women are more concerned about personal assaults than about active shooters.

T Rex

The difference in width is one sixth of an inch.

retfed

I know, but sometimes that makes a difference to people with small hands. The difference is in the girth, and the distance from the backstrap to the trigger, not just the width. Run a cloth dressmaker’s tape measure around the grip from the backstrap to the trigger and back, and you’ll probably end up with more than a sixth-of-an-inch difference.
There are also physiological and psychological factors involved. Some people’s hand shapes are more accommodating to the thinner grip, and some people just feel more comfortable, and therefore more confident, with the thinner grip. When my agency issued the P229, I knew several agents who carried authorized personally-owned P239s because they preferred the feel of the grip, even though the difference in girth is negligible. A lot of it is as much subjective as it is objective. That’s why I say, It’s America. You go to your church and I’ll go to mine. (By the way, given the choice, I’d take the 26 over the 43, just like you would. But a lot of people wouldn’t.)

Ryobiwankenobi

My 5 foot tall wife with proportionally small hands found that the G43 grip fit her perfectly while the G26 and S&W Shield were too big for her hands. We both can use it very well and mag compatibility with other Glocks wasn’t an issue because this is our first semiautomatic pistol.

Dougboffl

G22 .40S&W is my issued duty gun. I went Shield .40S&W for off duty because I got it lighty used for $250 from a guy who thought it too snappy – and because, at the time, Glock didn’t have the G43 out. Glock was way late to the single stack party. I have had no issues with estimated 700 rounds down range on the Shield. Always carry a spare mag. I’ve shot G43 and don’t really see any reason to pay $110 more to move that way.

Kelly Jackson

It’s roll is that it fits in your pocket and doesn’t feel like you’re holding a box of Legos like the other subcompact Glocks.

John Yossarian

Pocket carry – That’s the advantage over the double-stacks. I’m only 5’7″, but have no problem pocket carrying in Levi 569’s.

T Rex

John you should actually read the specs above, if you do the point that Pete was attempting to make everyone aware of might sink in. The numbers don’t lie, there is no significant measurable difference between a G26 & G43 and certainly not enough to affect how it fits your hand or enough to justify the 4 less rounds in mag capacity or the ability to carry a 15 or 17 round G19 or G17 mag as a spare. The “it fits my hand better” rationalization for the G43, which in reality is nothing more than a single stack G26, is purely psychological.

Big Daddy

Man T Rex do you own both? I have both and they are hugely different with any carry situation unless you are a big human being. The G26 easily prints the 43 not.

T Rex

The belief that sixteen one hundredths of an inch causes any noticeable increase in printing is all in your mind Big Daddy.

dunhillmc

it’s a quarter inch difference in thickness. please see my response to your other post

Silence Dogood

T-Rex isn’t too bright is he?

Scott Thompson

Trex just seems to keep bumping his gums. I had no interest in the 43 when I read the numbers on paper. I already had a PM 9 which was smaller. Finally I actually handled a 43. There is a noticeable difference in size to my 26.
It is bigger than my PM 9 in all the RIGHT places. I can actually get a good grip on the 43. You can also carry an extra mag in your pocket without all the rounds coming out by the end of the day like a PM9 mag.

Jeff Allen50

I chose the Glock 43 over the 26 because it fits my hand better. I would say to anyone interested in buying one to handle and possibly rent/shoot both to see which one fits you better. Both are quality firearms, and being able to put the first round where you want, and then quickly reacquire for a second is the prime factor in which handgun to carry.

Mattb

I carry a FNS compact but I shoot any single stack better then a double. The FNS and P320 are the only double stack guns I can’t comfortably get my hand around enough to get a good position on the trigger.

The difference is more than that; the G43 is measured at it’s widest point, which is this little “frame bulge” where the trigger components are located. The rest of the pistol is thinner than that area. I do not have any calipers, just a children’s ruler, otherwise I’d measure it for you.

I used to be a serious hater on the G43, as “by the numbers” it made no sense, and I wanted to run the G26 for all of the obvious reasons.

However when I tested both side by side AIWB, the G26 would print for me under a T-shirt, whereas the G43 was just thin enough that it didn’t. This was under a size medium T shirt and shorts. Under a button up shirt or in winter the difference would likely not matter.

I suggest trying them both in person, I think you’ll be surprised how different it is in person vs what the math would suggest.

T Rex

I did Mark, no one could have been more disappointed than I was the day I went to pick up the G43 I ordered at GT Distributors and actually held the much hyped pistol alongside a new Gen 4 G26 as well as the Kahr CM9 I was carrying, only to be confronted both visually and manually with the reality there was no significant measurable difference between the two Glocks but a significant difference between the G43 and CM9. If nothing else Pete touched on a topic that demonstrates how susceptible some consumers are to marketing and hype and will believe what they want to believe even when confronted with irrefutable evidence proving what they want to believe simply cannot be true.

dunhillmc

The G43 and CM9 have the same slide width and same height. The G43 is a little longer than the CM9 because it has a longer barrel

kingof9x

The glock 43 is the first glock I have picked up that I didn’t feel compelled to modify the grip on. If the 26 felt as nice in my hand as the 43 I would have gotten that.

Ben Pottinger

I have ulcerative colitis and so often have trouble carrying anything of any significant weight on my waist because I have to tighten my belt too much, which hurts (a lot). I own and prefer a G19 to most of my other pistols. Prior to the G43 I carried a Keltec PF9 in my pocket. It was uncomfortable to shoot, less reliable and less accurate. Now I can carry my G43 with its base magazine or with a +2 magazine extension depending on my pockets size. The G43 fits my hand perfectly, fits my pockets perfectly, shoots exceedingly well and is typical glock flawless reliability. The G26/G27 guns were just to wide to pocket carry and are slightly heavier (and you can’t get around the fact that more bullets=more weight regardless the weight of the firearm itself).

So its light enough and small enough to not bother me and help me get around my disability while also being big enough and robust enough to “handle” like an actual gun and not “point and pray” pocket pistol.

Big Daddy

I have severe spinal issues and cannot wear a belt, so no IWB or OWB Kydex for me. I use a belly band with the G43 or a Galco Miami vice type holster and a G19.

Treyh007

Been carrying a G26 for many years and luv it, I’ll always have one. I tried out the G42 when they first came out and liked it but not enough to retire my 26. I’ll rotate in my M&P 40c, PPS M2, 642 Airweight, & EMP 9mm from time to time but the G26 is my without a doubt go to carry piece.

scott will

You said that it’s your go to, but you also said you retired it?

Treyh007

Read it again sir……. “I tried out the G42 when they first came out and like it BUT NOT ENOUGH TO RETIRE MY 26!”

Pete – TFB Writer

As I hoped and expected, lots of great comments. I’ve been following most of the day. Just not enough time to respond. Thanks everyone.

MrEllis

Opinions were had! I still haven’t shot one of the 43s as of yet.

Big Daddy

Not missing much it’s not a great gun for shooting but has it’s purpose for carry. It has a horrible trigger not as bad as a Kahr or Smith but not really good for accurate shooting. Everybody seems to shoot low left with it. I just ordered a Pyramid trigger for it.

MrEllis

Considering I have a smaller .357 or a XDs .45 for carry, normally, it probably is a pretty sweet shooter for me. Every time I want to go little 9mm though, I lean towards double-stack. Which seems to be their strength.

IndyToddrick

Magazine interchangeability has become paramount for me at this stage in life. For about a decade I was of the mindset that having as many different models of pistols was the way to go. One for each application, and some that just look cool! When I went to the range I would take about three pistols, but quickly began mixing up magazines, resulting in some bent feedlips and operational difficulties. Sometimes I would get to the range and find that I didn’t even have the right mags to use a certain gun. Now I prefer several of the same exact gun, or at least guns which take the same mags.

Big Daddy

I own 13 Glocks including the G43. The pros on the 43 are that it’s a small light 9mm but inherently they all have issues. The Con and my biggest gripe about the 43 is the trigger it’s horrible but so is every other small 9mm I have tried or owned. I just ordered a Pyramid trigger for it. It already has an Ghost connector and that helped. Everybody seems to shoot low left with them. Also 2 Glock mags I bought do not drop free so they are for the range only. I bought it because it is small and replaced my G42, I wanted a full 9mm but the G42 actually shot better.

Fran McHugh

I have relatively small hands for a guy. (My index finger is shorter than my ring finger.) I can’t comfortably handle anything double-stack. The G43 and the M&P are two nice polymer pistols that work for me, when a 1911 is too heavy for the occasion.

Jim Drickamer

And this is why there are horse races. This is also why there are .380’s and 9mm’s, or .45’s and 10mm’s. At the end of the day, what counts is one thing – I survived.

Relyconfused

On paper it doesn’t appear to be much of a difference, but I can easily carry it under a slim cut t-shirt where as the G26 I cannot. Arguing that the G43 is to big is pointless. The 43 is smaller than the S&W Shield or the Springfield XDS. Even though the shield is larger than the G43 it has been setting sales records in the first few years it was introduced. So, if it doesn’t make since to you so be it, but for others it does.

Christopher89

I do want a g43 but for different reasons, I don’t think it’s a revolutionary design just like all the other small 9mm single stacks. If you want to limit your capacity to 6 rounds why not carry a snub-nosed revolver?

Brian G. Lowery

Agree 100% it’s too big to be a “pocket gun” and not small enough to lose the capacity and magazine interchangeability of the G26 in my opinion. The one niche it may fill is as a good purse gun.

the perfesser

My G43 sits well in my pocket. My G26 won’t. Live in a warm humid climate, so I pocket carry almost exclusively when I carry.

The tough decision thus is: G43, PM9, or snubbie…..

Treyh007

I think it definitely has a place in the market but being I have a G26 already I don’t have a need for the 43. The 26 is an outstanding CCW, i would definitely suggest you go and compare the two side by side to see which one is right for you. The 26 is a tad heavier and wider but for me not much to make a difference.

Don Mei

You are writing this like you have not had the opportunity to actually handle and carry one of each. Yes, the numbers are correct. But they fail to capture the fact that the G26 takes up a lot more space than the 43. height x width x length. The reality is that the G26 is much much more bulky than the 43. All the little increases add up to a large perceived difference in total bulk.

tenmillimeter

The 43 is lighter, narrower, and has a taller grip that is also easier for shooters with smaller hands. For that you give up 4 rounds in its basic configuration, 2 if you use one of the many +2 options for the G43 magazine. If these match your requirements, reason to get one. If they don’t, don’t. It’s not even really an emotional decision at all.

FWIW I don’t own one yet either.

Shady1

This is why they make so many different size handguns… Because everybody views them differently in what they want or need. For me I live in the desert and it is almost always hot. So for me a single stack will print much less than a double stack under my T-shirt. If it is winter and I am wearing a sweatshirt or a button up untucked then I prefer to carry a double stack handgun. When it’s over 105 degrees that’s not happening, so it’s a t-shirt, basketball shorts, and a belly band with my G43.

Richard Lutz

I would have preferred a single-stack version of the G19 rather than a single stack version of the G26, which would have been a viable service pistol with an 8-shot mag that was very well suited to petit police officers with small hands. If I want a small backup to a G19 or G17 I would prefer a G26 which will accept the double-stack magazines as the G19/G17 or a small 9mm pocket revolver like the Ruger LCR.

KUETSA

The reason cops don’t carry six guns any more? – NOT ENOUGH BULLETS!
Can’t see giving up magazine capacity AND the options of 15+1 – 17+1 – 33+1. ESPECIALLY WHEN POLITICIANS ARE SET ON FORCING ALL OF US EXCEPT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS INTO THAT LIMITATION BY LAW!!!
Can’t see limiting myself to low magazine capacity by choice, when I find the G26 to be small and comfortable to carry.

Bobk

I recently bought a G43. I love it. I carry it during warm weather. The front pockets of all my cargo shorts are plenty big enough to conceal the 43 and with the flush fit magazine, I can draw the gun easily. It replaces a small 380 that yes was smaller. But I will take a 9 over a 380 any day. I once had a G26 and tried to pocket carry it. No go. Just too big.

The differences between the two aren’t huge but enough to make a big difference when pocket carrying even though the 43 isn’t intended to be a pocket gun.

I agree that the 43 isn’t for everyone. But IMHO the 43 excels where smaller guns fail. As least that’s the case for me.